Adjustable pin spot for bowling alleys



p 1932- R. E. KENNEDY ADJUSTABLE PIN SPOT FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Filed July 2, 1950 71 02am 5. H'N/YEB) Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES horn-RT n. KENNEDY, or cmcAGoQILLINoIs, ASSIG'NOR TO THE nnunswrcx-natxn- .COLLEND'ER COMPANY, or CHICAGO, rumors, .A conrona'rron or DELAWARE ADJUSTABLE PIN sro'r oRBO LmG ALLEYS Application filed July 2,

v This invention relates to an adjustable pin setter and spotter for bowling alleys and has *for one of its principal objects the provision *of means for setting or spotting pins on bowl ing alleys, which means shall be conveniently and material than the floor proper, can be vertically adjusted so as to accommodate itself to the varying levels of the floor when ground down, whileat the same timereliminating'the necessity of grinding or re-finishing the surface of the pin setter element itself.

Still another and further importantobject of this invention is toprovide an adjustable portion of any surface that can be conveniently varied with respect to. the plane of the. remainder of'the surface when said remainder is. changed in level'or contour by any necessary operation. V I

Other and further important objects ofthe invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and following specification.

' he invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

' In the drawing 1 Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved adjustable pin setter and spotter ofthis' invention, showing the same as incorporated into the floor of a bowlingalley or the like. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view; taken on the line 22 of Figure 1. 7 Q Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; 7 v V Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device when removed.

Figure 5 illustrates-a ugar modification ofthe invention as adapted to a pin setting 'Pp' ratus;

vention maybe adapted. The adjustable pin setter. andvspotter of this invention includes essentially 7 an upper surface 12, preferably in the form'of a disk,'as shown, and also preferably ofsome material 'other than the materlal of thebowlingalley floor, which maybe of fiber or any other desired or convenient material which is readily distinguishable from the remaining floorsurface;

Heretofore in re-finishin the surface 10 of thebowling alley, the sur ace 12 of the pin spotting element was also necessarily re-fin- ENT OF ished, thereby producing an undesirable re- 7 sult inthe form of a rough spot or vthe like. The object :of the present invention is to sup"- ply a spot which need not be re-finished on its surface, but which can be conveniently ad usted downwardly as the surrounding surface is worn away, and' which, furthermore, 1s positlvelyma-intained indesired adjusted position.

ent invention thedisk 12 is in turn mounted uponamember' 14 which comprises essentially-anupperplate, preferably of metal, of the same diameteras'the disk 12 and which terminates in a downwardly extending half the diameter of the disk- 12 and the upper plate; 14.; This screw-threaded shank is" mounted in v a correspondingly screwthreaded metal plate 18, which is positioned at the bottom of a suitable well or' the'like '20 formed in the-surface of the bowling alley floor for the proper reception of the device.

This plate is suitably aflixed in position at the bottom of the well'by means of screws or the like 22, This plate is provided with a plurality of up-standing" integral lugs 24: ,mounted .on'its periphery, as best shown-in i Figures 3 and 4,.these lugs being preferably mounted in pairs on opposite sides of the In the preferred embodiment the pres- If.

screw-threaded-shank 16 of approximately device, as shown, and in'thei spacebetween each pair is fitted a correspondingly downwardly extending lug 26 which is attached to or mte gralwith a plate 28'p'rovided with a central opening so as to fit around the threaded shank 16 and mounted loosely thereon. A helical spring 30 surrounds the screwthreaded shank 16 and is positioned between plates 18 and 28 so as to normally force the plate 28 upwardly and into contacting relation with the under-face of theelement 14. A suitable upstanding cylindrical portion 32 is provided on the plate 18, and preferably integral therewith, being interior-1y screwthreadedso as to receive the shank 16.

A set of up-standing lugs 34 is provided on the periphery of the plate28, these lugs being preferably integral therewith and adapted to selectively fit into certain of a plurality of corresponding notches 36 formed in the lower periphery of the element 14. It will be-observed that when the lugs34 are in the notches 36, no rotation of the disk 12 or its attached plate 14 together with the integral shank 16 can take place, owing to the fact that the lugs 26 will contact with the lugs 24.0f the fixed plate 18 after a very limited rotat-ive movement of the first named elements.

In order to allow of such rotation when desired or necessary, a pair of-openings 40 is provided-in the disk 12 and plate 14, these openings being adapted for the insertion thereinto of correspondingly and spaced prongs 42 of an operating key or the like 44, the prongs of a sufiicient length so that when inserted into the openings 40 to their fullestextent the ends will contact with the upper face of the plate 28 and depress the same sufiiciently so as to move the lugs 34 from contacting relation with the openings or sockets 36. This position is illustrated in Figures 2 a'nd4. Very obviously a rotativc movement of the combined elements 40 12, 14, and 16 will then be possible, allowing of a suitable adjustment'iof the level of the upper face of the disk 12 with respect to the surrounding floor surface 10. When the key elements are withdrawn, the spring 30 will r return the plate 24 and its attached lugs to contacting relation with the lower face of the plate 14, and if a suitable interfitting of the lugs 34 into the sockets 36 does not immediately take place, this can be accomplished by further slight-rotation of the disk 12 with the key-prongs 42 in a position slightly withdrawn from the openings ii).

g In Figure is :illustra teda slight modification of the invention, wherein a pin setter rod 55 or the like 50 is passed upwardly through a central opening -52 in the elements 12a and 16--a.

' It will be evident that herein is provided ceiving a different degree of wear. The-adjustmentis such as to be suitably and positively regulated and definitely fixed. F urther, one surface can be depressed out of harms way while the surrounding surface is being dressed, V

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details in the construction varied throughout a wide range, without departing from the principles of this invent-ion, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necesistated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. An adjustable pin spot for bowling alleys, including a plate set into the bowling alley surface and adjustable with respcctto the plane of said surface, together with means for locking the plate in such adjusted positlon, said means comprising a support for the I plate, mounted in an opening counter-sunk in the alleysurface, and depressible latching means between the support and the plate.

2. An adjustable pin spot for bowling alleys, including a plate set into the bowling alley surface and adjustable with respect to the plane 'of said surface, together with means for locking the plate insuch adjusted position, said means comprising a support for 'thepla-te, mounted in an opening countersunk in the alleysurface, and depressible latching means :bctweenthe support and the plate; the support including a plate adapted to be mounted in the base of said opening, said plate having a screw-threaded opening therein, a supporting shaft, correspondingly screw-threaded, mountedin the plate, and means for normally preventing rotation of the-support.

3. A31 adjustable pin spot for bowling a1- leys, including a plate set into the bowling alley surface and adjustable with'respect :to the plane of said surface, together with means for locking the plate in :such adjusted positiomsaid means comprising a support for the plate, mounted in an opening countersunk in the alley surface, and depressible latching meansbetween the support and the plate; thesupport including a plate adapted to be mounted in the base of said opening, said plate having a screw-threaded opening therein, a supporting shaft, correspondingly screw-threaded, mounted in the plate', and means for'normally preventing rotation of thesupport; said latching means comprising a plate loosely mounted about the said screwthreaded shaft, downwardly extending lugs on' the plate, adapted to contact with corresponding lugs on-the' supporting plate, and I upwardly extendinglugs on the plate, adapted to fit into notches in the support.

4. An adjustable pin spotfor bowling alleys, including a plateset into the bowling alley surface and adjustable with respect t wardly extending lugs on the plate, adapted the plane of said surface, together with means for locking the plate in such adjusted position, said means comprising a support for the plate, mounted in an opening countersunk in the alley surface, and depressible latching means between the support and the plate; the support including a plate adapted to be mounted in the base of said opening, said plate having a screw-threaded opening therein, a supporting shaft, correspondingly screw-threaded, mounted in the plate, and. means for normally preventing rotation of r the support; said latching means comprising a plate loosely mounted about the said screwthreaded shaft, downwardly extending lugs on the plate, adapted to contact with corresponding lugs on the supporting plate, up-

to fit into notches in the support, and a helical spring for normally maintaining said loosely positioned plate in locking contact with the pin support.

5. An adjustable pin spot for bowling al- 7 leys, including a plate set into the bowling alley surface and adjustable with respect to the plane of said surface, together with means for locking the plate in such adjusted position, said means comprising a support for the plate, mounted in an opening countersunk in the alley surface, and depressible latching means between the support and the plate; the support including a plate adapted to be mounted in the base of said opening, said plate having a screw-threaded opening therein, a supporting shaft, correspondingly screw-threaded, mounted in the plate, and means for normally preventing rotation-of the pin support, and a manually operated key for first depressing said plate against the action of the spring and then rotating the pin setter in its screw-threaded support when freed from looking position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my-signature.

' ROBERT E. KENN support; said latching means comprising a plate loosely mounted about the said screwthreaded shaft, downwardly extending lugs on the plate, adapted to contact with corre-' sponding lugs on the supporting plate, upwardly extending lugs on the plate, adapted to fit into notches in the support, a helical spring for normallymaintaining said loosely positioned plate in locking contact with the pin support, and a manually operated key for first depressing said plate against the action of the spring and then rotating the pin setter in its screw-threaded support. j,

6. An adjustable pin spot for bowling alleys, including a plate set into the bowling alley surface and adjustable with respect to the plane of said surface, together with means for locking the plate in such adjusted position, said means comprising a support for the plate, mounted in an opening countersunk in the alley surface, and depressible latching means between the support and the plate; the support including a plate adapted 

